Savannah Spree

Author: lyss63
Date of Trip: May 2006

Savannah is such a stunning spot! I was only there for a week and my two complaints are just ghosts (AH!) and frizzy hair…

Doubletree Hotel Historic Savannah

My experience at the Doubletree Hotel in Savannah was great. I would absolutely recommend it for anyone! The service from the front desk to maids to valet was so good. They could easily tell us many places to visit or where to find a local drugstore, and made our stay very enjoyable. They also had these AMAZING cookies they gave you when you check in, or if they like you the way that they liked us, they’ll give them to you whenever you ask. I really can’t even explain these cookies; they were hot fresh baked oatmeal chocolate chunk. I guessI just did explain, but you have to have one for yourself.

Well, other than the cookies, the rooms were really nice too. If you’re looking for a bigger room, request a corner room, it was a lot more spacious than the others. However, they’re all very fine rooms. The hotel also had a nice outdoor pool and Jacuzzi, which was awesome for relaxing after walking around all day.

The location was right in the historic district of Savannah, so there was easy access to River Street and tons of other cool places.

Ghost Tour

THE one thing you have to do in Savannah is a ghost tour, of course! It’s such a historical city and full of color. While I was there, I took a carriage ghost tour. It was really cool and mad scary.

The guide will take you around and tell you various spooky stories as he or she also drives the horses. Our carriage was pulled by a couple of loving horses called Batman and Robin. They were so good, they knew where they were going without even being told! Certain things around the city made it so obvious that the locals have always truly believed. For one, the house next door to one extremely haunted house had up a brick wall with pointed shards of glass on top to keep out the ghosts from their own home. The guide even told us a creepy story about our own hotel being built over an Indian burial ground. That means no sleep for a bunch of 16-year-old girls andthank goodness it was the last night!

For the amount of fun these tours are, they’re pretty cheap, usually between $10-15. I’m pretty sure the company we used can be found here: www.savannahcarriage.com. If you’re a Girl Scout troop, you can get patches for $2 extra. I won’t spoil any more of the stories, so you’ll have to go see it for yourself!

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Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthplace

“The Birthplace” is a term used by Girl Scouts to refer to the house Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts, lived in. It’s a great place to visit whether you’re a Girl Scout or not. However, if you have or are in a Girl Scout troop, there are a few extras you can enjoy like the programs just a few feet away in a house across the courtyard. My troop took the Fashion, Fabric, and Frills workshop and it was so much fun. Our great workshop leader, Diane, made it a hundred times better! We learned about fashions in every decade, got to see antique clothing of Juliette’s time, and even put on corsets and hoop skirts.

Later, we got into Victorian-like dresses and had a “proper” southern Victorian dinner with a host, guest of honor, and really good food. We learned about the parlor games the women played after dinner while the men smoked their pipes. One was called “poor pussy” which is pretty funny to a bunch of 16-year old girls.

Anyway, we got to go back into Juliette’s house alone after the exhibit closed to take pictures. Afterwards we were told the tale, which we had obviously forgotten or else we would not have gone in there, about how Juliette’s parents haunt the house. We looked at the pictures on our digitals and sure enough there were creepy orbs in almost all our pictures. However, Willy and Nellie had an amazing marriage and happy life, so they haunt in peace.

Before you leave Savannah, be sure to stop outside the house again to say goodbye, or it’s said that the orbs will follow you home. I assure you I said thank you and goodbye to Willy and Nellie numerous times.

I really encourage everyone to learn more about Juliette; she was an awesome person and her life was very interesting. If you have a little girl definitely get her involved with a good Girl Scout troop. She’ll make friends and learn tons of things; I promise.

Tybee Island Lighthouse

The Tybee Island Lighthouse was a pretty cool place to go. If you’re in good shape a fun thing to do is take the hike all the way to the top of the lighthouse. The view is amazing from there and you can see Fort Screvren. (I think, but it might be a different fort.)

Back on the ground, the head keeper’s house is open to be toured. It has been restored with original or replicated furnishings and gives you a good idea of what it was like. I would definitely urge you to visit Tybee while you’re in Savannah.

After seeing the lighthouse, I’d suggest the obvious, going to the beach! It was raining the day I was there, but it could be fun on a nice day. We ate under the Tybee Island pavilion and pier which I would recommend. However, the waves looked pretty weak so don’t count on boogie boarding too much.